Meher Baba Life Timeline: 1925-1935

March: open hospital and dispensary at Meherabad as well as hermitage for lepers and destitute; opens co-ed primary school with free education, food, clothes for children of all religions and castes, mostly Harijans.

July 9 at 8:30 pm he announces:
“I am now going. From tomorrow I will not speak for one and a half years. All of you must take care of your health, and remember, when any of you go out of the Makan during the night to attend to your needs, always carry a lantern with you. Beware of snakes; I will do anything to help you in other difficulties, but I will not help you if you are bitten by a snake.”

July 10 begins silence

July: staying in his Jhopdi at Meherabad; wrote in his “book” daily at the beginning of his silence.

October shifts to “table cabin” under neem tree by the road; continues writing in book and giving darshan to visitors in front of the cabin.

November 19 lights dhuni fire in response to villagers’ plea for rain – 15 hours of rain ensues; beginning of monthly lighting of dhuni fire on the 12th of the month.

Sai Darbar hall built near post office to accommodate large crowds coming weekly for darshan; Marathi arati sung in his praise.

Around 500 people living at Meherabad; a few dozen dedicated mandali living under Baba’s strict orders. Mandali worked in school, hospital as well as being involved in games and sports.

March Baba moves into box cabin in Sai Darbar hall; May begins two-month stay in water tank room on the hill.

October Baba dismantles Meherabad and relocates to Lonavla; makes arrangements for needs of those living under his care at Meherabad; November returns to Meherabad and rebuilds; starts Hazrat Babajan school for boys.

1927

Stops writing; begins using alphabet board — May opens Meher Ashram for boys and shifts it to Meherabad hill; October 170 boys enrolled (14 from Persia) — women mandali living in enclosed compound on the hill. December starts staying in crypt room

1928

January love outburst sweeps through Meher Ashram; Baba forms Prem Ashram for advanced meditation and retreat. Baba remains in crypt room until end of February; fasts until end of April.

March: sends Rustom to UK to bring boys from the west fo the Prem Ashram; can’t bring any boys but meets Meredith and Margaret Starr.

April: Hazrat Babajan comes to Meherabad, meets Baba and school boys at the railroad tracks.

June: with 5 Mandali to Persia incognito – working at great mosque at Meshed

Sept: sails from Karachi to England with Rustom, Chanji and Ali on SS Rajputana – meets with Gandhi who is en route to Round Table Conference – three weeks meeting new disciples – from England to Constantaniople, Milan, Genoa and then to New York – Harmon on Hudson (one month-3 weeks) followed by 1 week in New York – attracts hundreds of disciples including first close western mandala – returns to India early 1932

Sept. 21: Hazrat Babajan drops the body – reported to be 125 years old

first western disciples to India – April: ten Western disciples (9 women & Quintin Todd) called to India – proposed 6-month tour cut to 3-week tour of north India and they are sent back — July: 5th visit to the West – select western disciples in Portofino — 6th visit Sept: London – Oct. month in Spain- returned to India

At Meherabad, for some time women mandali had been in seclusion - raising and caring for various birds, bunnies and other animals (“the zoo”)

1935

January 1935 left Los Angeles to Vancouver, Hawaii, Yokohama, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Colombo and return to India– moves ashram from Meherabad to Nasik – Baba recovering from health collapse from cold winter in the West – working with Eastern disciples / writing to Western disciples